to the guys who list their gear...

[MartinC]

I guess it is of some interest what guys use, but if there's no link to your music, what use is it to know that you have a mesa, peavy, and a strat? I think in my case at least it's more interesting the stuff I have lying around in my basement that I no longer use:

 

1970's vintage cry baby

Electro Harmonix Electric Mistress Flanger

Ibanez Sonic Distortion

Electro Harmonix 16 second digital delay foot controller( the uh, actual unit, is long gone, but it was a goodie)

Boss DD-20 giga delay

POD 2.0

Ibanez dml 10

Behringer FCB 1010 Midi foot controller with TWO expression pedals and midi merge function!

Roland GI 10 pitch to midi converter-worked surprisingly well

yamaha mu-80

Sparkle blue mid sixties set of ludwigs

mesa boogie mark II circa 1983

ADAT

Teac A 3440

mackie 1604

The head of an SG tube guitar amp(used to have a 4x10 cab attached)-still sounds pretty good

A circa 1980's floyd rose tremelo...........

And that's without getting to the back of the closet!

 

OK-I'm a gear pack rat-I should have sold the ADAT, 1604, and dat machine when they were still worth something, not to mention the 3440.............

Who else is holding worthless crap? Or maybe e-bay is in my future?

[gspointer]

I still have a Tascam DA78-hr, although I would use it if I needed to record 16 tracks. (TDIF in on a MOTU 2408mkii with the PCI 324 card) Actually, I need to ditch both of these units and get a decent 10+ input firewire or USB interface.

[chevybusa]

I post all my gear in my sig because I frequently ask questions and it saves me having to type all my gear every time I do.

 

The only time I ever really had a bunch of stuff sitting around that I didn't use was when I had just started using soft synths exclusively (i.e. Reason 4.0) and it took me a little while to get rid of all the rack units I had been using up until then.

[nomadh]

If you give a gear opinion it helps to give a point of reference or a pedigree.

[cooterbrown]

 

I guess it is of some interest what guys use, but if there's no link to your music, what use is it to know that you have a mesa, peavy, and a strat? I think in my case at least it's more interesting the stuff I have lying around in my basement that I no longer use: 1970's vintage cry baby Electro Harmonix Electric Mistress Flanger Ibanez Sonic Distortion Electro Harmonix 16 second digital delay foot controller( the uh, actual unit, is long gone, but it was a goodie) Boss DD-20 giga delay POD 2.0 Ibanez dml 10 Behringer FCB 1010 Midi foot controller with TWO expression pedals and midi merge function! Roland GI 10 pitch to midi converter-worked surprisingly well yamaha mu-80 Sparkle blue mid sixties set of ludwigs mesa boogie mark II circa 1983 ADAT Teac A 3440 mackie 1604 The head of an SG tube guitar amp(used to have a 4x10 cab attached)-still sounds pretty good A circa 1980's floyd rose tremelo........... And that's without getting to the back of the closet! OK-I'm a gear pack rat-I should have sold the ADAT, 1604, and dat machine when they were still worth something, not to mention the 3440............. Who else is holding worthless crap? Or maybe e-bay is in my future?

 

 

How much you want for the POD?

[MartinC]

Not sure I want to let it go. i do fire it up once in a while.

[tim_7string]

I used to list what I used in my signature, until some dickhead decided to make fun of me for it. So, I figured if there is at least one of him, there are probably more out there who could care less or who are actually annoyed by what I put there.

 

So, I removed it. Let people think what they want about what I use. If they want to imagine I'm using a vintage $2300 Telecaster through an old MarkII tube combo amp, whatever. I've always been one for getting a good sound of whatever I had rather than being hung up on brand names anyway.

 

MartinC: I too am a gear pack rat. I have all kinds of crap I should have sold, given away or thrown out years ago, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I have used some of it on occasion. Maybe someday I'll finally get organized and pare it all down.

[DirtySkirty]

Mesa Tremoverb / 4x12 + Ibanez AS80 + Me =

 

That's it! No rack, no pedals... I don't even run through the tuner or change the channel on the amp! All you need is an amp, a guitar, and a volume knob.

 

Whiskey helps, also.

[MartinC]

See, that's the thing Tim. It is interesting if someone lists a squire and a peavy and they sound fantastic. My 1200.00 markII sounds like crap since a roadie dropped it down a staircase. I looked at it this weekend and thought I ought to take it to someone to see if it can be fixed up. I agree about weird amps/guitars sounding good. I have a beringer acoustic amp and it sounds great when miking a nylon string. My first amp was a used heath kit, and it sounded pretty good at times too. The SG head I have a friend just gave me. He was on his way to the dumps with it, and stopped at my place and asked if I wanted it. Being a rat, I took it and was surprised how clean and warm it sounded. Still, it buzzes a bit and if I showed up as a sideman for a gig, I'd get looks for sure-it looks like something that is from another time.

 

And nomadh, I get what your saying-no offense intended to you, but just owning gear doesn't mean you know squat about it. I've got at least three versions of logic, took a freakin class and got certified(as clueless, I suppose), but still really don't know enough about it except to tell people I don't know much about it.

 

chevybusa-point made.

 

 

 

 

I used to list what I used in my signature, until some dickhead decided to make fun of me for it. So, I figured if there is at least one of him, there are probably more out there who could care less or who are actually annoyed by what I put there. So, I removed it. Let people think what they want about what I use. If they want to imagine I'm using a vintage $2300 Telecaster through an old MarkII tube combo amp, whatever. I've always been one for getting a good sound of whatever I had rather than being hung up on brand names anyway. MartinC: I too am a gear pack rat. I have all kinds of crap I should have sold, given away or thrown out years ago, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I have used some of it on occasion. Maybe someday I'll finally get organized and pare it all down.

 

[BlueStrat]

I judge my mechanic by how well my car runs, not how nice his tools are or how many he has.

If someone wants to discount my opinion about something based on my gear, well...screw 'em.

[SpaceNorman]

There's alot of wisdom in the "it ain't what you own - it's how you play it" logic. Clearly simply owning a pile of boutique gear doesn't make anybody a great player.

 

On the flip side however, many of the discussions on the board ARE gear related. While I can't speak for anybody else - I don't mind seeing what rig a guy is playing so that I can have an idea of where he's coming from. Reality is - the gear list often serves as the grain of salt with which whatever comments he makes is taken.

 

Obviously there are always exceptions to the rule - but I'm pretty comfortable in assuming that what the guy whose sig includes an SG and Marshall full stack is coming from a different place when he talks about "great tone and/or reasonable volume" than the guy who lists ES335 and a Jazz Chorus.

 

It's even more important in the realm of keyboards were many of the discussions have a "how do I" technical focus. I like knowing a little bit about what a guy posting "how do I" advice plays on. Advice from a guy who lives to play on retro synth gear and/or for whom price is THE driving factor in his gear purchases - may not be fitting for a ROMpler jockey who looks to build his rig from "Best of Breed" components.

 

Same thing goes for the concept of "my band". Threads constantly run in the ditch in heated debate over "my band does this _____" type comments. More often than not it's drama that could of been avoided if everybody knew a little about what kind of "my band" the poster was talking about. The world that an semi-accoustic three piece playing 100 seat restaurant venues with no dance floor "my band" lives in is VERY VERY different than the world that a 6 piece, playing 400 seat dance clubs type "my band" lives in.

 

Having a little readily available insight into the type of gear, type of music, type of settings that other posters use is OK by me!

[tim_7string]

See, that's the thing Tim. It is interesting if someone lists a squire and a peavy and they sound fantastic.

 

Did you remember what I listed before or was that just a wild guess on your part?

 

(Incidentally, I use a Squier Affinity Telecaster, Peavey EVH Wolfgang Special and Peavey Classic 30 for most gigs, along with some Boss pedals. Dunno if I can get a fantastic sound out of them, but people dance when I perform, so I guess it sounds all right to them. )

[6StringSling]

 

I used to list what I used in my signature, until some dickhead decided to make fun of me for it.

 

I get ripped in this forum quite often for my guitars. Who cares? If EH had posted his Frankenstrat here and no one knew him or his ability, he would've been ripped for playing a POS guitar. People here have told me that every guitar I own is a POS. It's funny, my Guild S-300D is worth about $1000 Bluebook and I've had several random offers to buy it just this year. People see what I paid for them and automatically put a quality tag on them based on what I paid. I've had a few LP owners play my Delta DLE Gold that I paid $59 for and they love it. I get complimented all the time on the look and tone of my Johnson Badwater that you can buy at Costco for $120.

 

I used to have a pile of pedals but I ditched them once I went with the PodXT Live: Harmonizer, Flanger, Phaser, Wah/Volume, Octaver, Delay, etc. I have a Rockman Stereo Chorus and a Sustainor that I don't use anymore, an ART 31-Band EQ, an old Yamaha MT-100 4-track cassette recorder, a Nady 4-channel mixer, a couple of old Roland Rhythm composers: 505 & 626. I have a Pocket Rocket laying around that I ditched in favor of a Pocket POD which I rarely use at all.

 

One piece of gear that I was always sorry I traded away years ago was a MuTron III but fortunately there's a modeled version in my PodXT.

[tim_7string]

 

I get ripped in this forum quite often for my guitars. Who cares? If EH had posted his Frankenstrat here and no one knew him or his ability, he would've been ripped for playing a POS guitar.

 

 

Well, that's the odd thing. He was primarily making fun of me for listing my Boss pedals. I was like, "Er, isn't that what a LOT of people use on big stages?" Not everyone is into boutique pedals. Maybe it was the fact that I listed every single one of them (there was only six). In any case, I don't like to see posts with negative comments about what I use. He also made fun of my "greasy ponytail" (my avatar at the time), which was an accurate enough description of my appearance. My hair looked kind of crappy in that particular picture. Ironically enough, I had just cut my hair a few weeks before that post, so I put up the non-greasy shot. He never said another word after that, so I guess "mission accomplished."

 

I'm not here to get approval from people, but I am also not here to read derisive comments about my personal appearance or what I happen to use. If removing those 'offending' items reduces such comments, I'd rather do that instead. That being said, like you, BlueStrat and others, I'm from the camp that it doesn't take the most expensive tools to do the job well. Talent and experience goes a lot further than $$$ does to get a good sound.

[Dancebass]

I think its fun. In some way it does give me an idea where a guy's coming from. I've never done it but what the hell. I've been playing bass for 25 years and I FINALLY have the sound I've always wanted.

 

I use:

 

Rickenbacker basses with Trace Eliot amps and speaker cabinets. Diaddario Pro-Steel strings. Boss Bass effects and a SansAmp Bass Driver DI, and the green Dunlap picks with the little turtle on'em.

[GreenAsJade]

As usual SpaceNormal nailed it.

 

GaJ

[MartinC]

Did you remember what I listed before or was that just a wild guess on your part? (Incidentally, I use a Squier Affinity Telecaster, Peavey EVH Wolfgang Special and Peavey Classic 30 for most gigs, along with some Boss pedals. Dunno if I can get a fantastic sound out of them, but people dance when I perform, so I guess it sounds all right to them. )

 

Wow-good guess. No I didn't remember your gear and I wasn't even supposing that was what you used. I just picked an example of low cost gear. I really don't care what gear a guy uses, and as I said in the op, unless we can hear what you do with it, does it really matter? And I've learned we can glean some useful info from the gear alone, as you guys have pointed out.

 

Sixstring-I remember one thread where you said that your guitars, while not perhaps as good as really expensive ones, were better values-that the real expensive ones were not THAT much better. You got a lot of dispute on that opinion. I was one of the posters that said that given the amount of time one spends with a guitar, over the years, it makes sense to buy the best you can afford. Last night I took out my 335 Tursner copy and was working on a tune. The tune required me to use the 22nd fret and you really can't get a grip on a full step bend on the 22nd fret on a 335, so I grabbed the PRS in my avatar. Night and freakin day in terms of feel, sustain, overall playability. I don't play that much electric, but for me, the PRS is worth ten times what the tursner is worth. YMMV. Maybe if I took the 335 to a tech and tweaked it, but the PRS isn't tweaked either.

 

Regarding EVH, I'd bet that if you got your hands on the guitar he used, it would play like butter. In other words, it probably had parts that felt really right to him. That's just a guess, it could have been a piece of {censored}. But I doubt it.

[6StringSling]

 

Regarding EVH, I'd bet that if you got your hands on the guitar he used, it would play like butter. In other words, it probably had parts that felt really right to him. That's just a guess, it could have been a piece of {censored}. But I doubt it.

 

Of course, but we're talking about simply posting a pic on a forum and telling everyone that you made it yourself out of parts, some of which you took from a dumpster (as is my understanding). You can't tell me that a lot of folks here wouldn't have been all over it in a negative way.

[cooterbrown]

Did you remember what I listed before or was that just a wild guess on your part? (Incidentally, I use a Squier Affinity Telecaster, Peavey EVH Wolfgang Special and Peavey Classic 30 for most gigs, along with some Boss pedals. Dunno if I can get a fantastic sound out of them, but people dance when I perform, so I guess it sounds all right to them. )

 

The Classic 30 is just a fantastic little amp.

Got JJ EL84's and E-H 12AX7's with an EVM12L speaker, in mine.

I will never, ever sell it.

Same with the guitarist in my band...he's got a Classic 30 and a Classic 50 2-12 combo.

[cooterbrown]

I think its fun. In some way it does give me an idea where a guy's coming from. I've never done it but what the hell. I've been playing bass for 25 years and I FINALLY have the sound I've always wanted. I use: Rickenbacker basses with Trace Eliot amps and speaker cabinets. Diaddario Pro-Steel strings. Boss Bass effects and a SansAmp Bass Driver DI, and the green Dunlap picks with the little turtle on'em.

 

Geddy Lee-influenced, much?

[MartinC]

I agree it would be just as tough to do that bend on a gibson 335-but what I was saying was that overall it was no comparison between the two guitars. Would a copy of a prs play as well? -I really don't know I've never played one but right out of the box I doubt it. I'm a lefty, and therefore no authority on guitars in general. Lefties have little to choose from and can't compare as many instruments as righties. I can only comment on what I've played.

 

It does make sense to me that if you know how to set up guitars, or how to put them together, know parts, and know what feels right to you, you could put together what may seem like junk parts ala EVH and come up with something that feels/sounds great. I think the average joe would not be likely to do that, but someone really into it probably could. A lot of players don't want to spend that much time and energy on it, so they are better off buying the quality instead of fabricating it.

 

As to your last point, gear snobs do exist, and they are best left to collecting. I believe there is a point where trying to save money by working with cheap gear is not worth it. Everyone has to decide where that line is for them. There is a certain satisfaction of getting a good result spending way less which is sort of the opposite of gear snobism.

 

 

 

 

I understand what you're saying but then you're also drawing a comparison between two different types of guitars. Would you have been able to get a grip on a full step bend on an authentic Gibson ES335 at the 22nd fret? if you had a copy of your PRS, would it play just as well? That's why I use the example of my Delta DLE Gold - I HAVE played LPs and have had other LP owners play my Delta and we all agree that it plays just as well. Now when I got it, it had a bad fret or two so I took it in and had a them replaced, all frets ground and polished, leveled, and complete setup done for GHS Boomer Light 10s. I replaced the pickups with DiMarzios: a PAF Pro in the neck, a Fred in the bridge, replaced the gold top hats with black Gibson Speed Knobs and rewired it to the specs of a LP standard. All that modding and tech work still only cost me about $350 so we're talking a bit less than $500 for a guitar that plays every bit as well as a $2500+ guitar of the same type. Of course, but we're talking about simply posting a pic on a forum and telling everyone that you made it yourself out of parts, some of which you took from a dumpster (as is my understanding). You can't tell me that a lot of folks here wouldn't have been all over it in a negative way.

 

[THX1138]

I listed my stage crap in my sig - not so much as a "look at my kickass toys", but more as a statement to my "meat n potatoes" minimalist approach.

 

I've never been much of a gear geek.

[MartinC]

 

Talent and experience goes a lot further than $$$ does to get a good sound.

 

 

Truth. I saw an interview with I think one of the guitarists from Iron Maiden and he said a guy asked him how he got his sound and he answered "twenty years experience"

[3shiftgtr]

I guess it is of some interest what guys use, but if there's no link to your music, what use is it to know that you have a mesa, peavy, and a strat?

 

Uh, cuz I don't hang here to obnoxiously self promote.

 

But since you asked....

www.myspace.com/trioshift

[ggm1960]

I believe I've always had links to my own music and/or cover band pages in my sig. Good or bad it gives people a chance to see what I'm about without shoving it in anyone's face. Lately I included a listing of some gear because I was rather proud of my recent am std strat acquisition. It's gear that I hope shows where I'm coming from in respect to performing.

 

On other forums I visit (motunation.com, cakewalk, korg, roland, macrumors, propellerhead, etc.) I list gear that is relevant to the topics at hand, usually versions of DAWs/plug-ins/VIs, computers, keyboards, midi/audio interfaces etc.